The New York Times assesses the current (and impressive) robustness of the modular building industry particularly in the multifamily category. Muses longtime prefab housing cheerleader and former Dwell editor Allison Arieff in a great opinion piece: "The sort of community a growing percentage of the population is seeking takes the form of a denser, walkable urban neighborhood. Prefab can make that happen more quickly, efficiently and economically than conventional construction — and increasingly, it’s doing exactly that."

TreeHugger sweeps up at the 2013 International Contemporary Furniture Fair with Lloyd Alter taking a look at the most delightful — and most dubious — instances of green design from the floor of the Jacob K. Javits Center. I'll be continuing to feature higlights that I encountered at ICFF and other NY Design Week events over the coming days.

The Atlantic Cities reports on the "bitter and contentious" anti-fluoride madness coming out of Portland, Ore., where "the remarkable efforts" of a "non-partisan alliance of paranoiacs" have once again (it's the fourth time since 1956) halted efforts to fluoridate the city's water system. Portland currently has the largest fluoride-free water system in the United States while the state of Oregon has one of the nation's highest rates of tooth decay (go figure).

Architizer celebrates the return of television's most chronically"disappointing," hyper-dysfunctional Orange County clan with an "in-depth architectural analysis" of the model home. Writes Peter Levin: "An anchor of suburban communities across the country, the 'display home' gives prospective homeowners a life-size mock-up of their dream house. More effective than a scale model or abstract floor plans, the model home is the reusable, neutral canvas that can accommodate the personal vision of every customer."

The New York Times chats with BLDBLOG founder Geoff Manaugh who, come September, will be taking the editorial reins at gadget-review heavy Gizmodo. Manaugh plans to focus more of architecture, design and urbanism once he takes charge: "We want to push what technology means. It’s not just about gadgets you carry around in your pocket. The city itself is the largest gadget that humans have made. You can talk about the ways cities are managed, the way governments function. We’ll be focusing a lot more on athletic technology, including gear in emerging sports like wilderness hiking. We’ll be looking at military technology, everything from biofuels to stealth materials, not just how iPhones are made."

Curbed presents the "Latest in Prefab Living: a Red, Rubber-Covered Orb" from Latvia dubbed DOM (E). Writes Amy Schellenbaum: "While pre-fabricated dome homes can hardly be considered revolutionary anymore, this particular variety stands out in that the interiors — two stories! — actually look contemporary and rather beautiful, with lots of light and long sweeps of birch throughout."

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